< Back
SPEAKERS : NURTURING THE HUMAN IN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE
By Emir Shafri, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe Malaysia
ADFEST 2024 speakers and delegates alike celebrated the fusion of artificial intelligence with human intelligence as a match made in heaven. Yet, amid the rush to invest and adopt ground-breaking tools, we may overlook investing in the most important tool: the human in human intelligence. We spoke with jurors from different career stages, all united by a similar pride in nurturing creative talent.
As creative leaders, we often feel pressure to define creative excellence, which can inadvertently stifle our teams’ creativity. How do we strike a balance between our confident vision and our team’s diverse perspectives? Rei Inamoto, Founding Partner of I&CO and Digital & Social Lotus, Digital Craft Lotus and Mobile Lotus Jury President suggested, “Be light on enforcing the rules, but tight on the philosophy, allowing creatives to find their own paths while staying true to our vision.”
Playing the team’s creative compass might also require us to be flexible. Underscoring the importance of adaptability, Daniel Kee, Executive Creative Director of MullenLowe Singapore and Design Lotus and Print & Outdoor Craft Lotus juror, quipped, “A leadership style that works today might not tomorrow. Likewise, what was wrong twice, might end up being right the third time.”
This sentiment resonated with Umma Saini, Digital & Social Lotus, Digital Craft Lotus and Mobile Lotus juror, who is four months into her role as Chief Creative Officer at Schbang India. “We need to be both flexible and empathetic. In some situations, having a coterie of rockstar creatives you can count on for the most critical briefs may help. In others, it may require nurturing creatives across teams, without having a select few favourites,” she advised.
Inamoto shared an anecdote from his earlier days leading AKQA’s growing creative team, “I once met a new copywriter in the pantry who asked me, ‘So, what do you do here?’ Instead of reacting with injured pride, it made me realise I needed to make an effort to know my team as individuals. From that day, I made a point to engage with everyone, even if just for a few minutes, to understand them as human beings.”
Empathy is also crucial for inspiring the next generation of Gen Z creatives. According to Thasorn “Pete” Boonyanate, Entertainment Lotus, Media Lotus and PR Lotus juror, and likely the youngest ever Chief Creative Officer of BBDO Bangkok, the traditional approach of expecting loyalty without reciprocation doesn’t resonate with them. “Understand what motivates them, encourage them to do work that makes them and their loved ones proud and not just ADFEST Lotus jurors, then give them a safe space to play and run on the pitch with them,” he shared.
Yet, creative chiefs are often pressed for time due to management responsibilities, including those dreaded Excel spreadsheets. Our Grand Jury President, Malcolm Poynton, Global Chief Creative Officer of Cheil Worldwide, knows this first-hand, probably with a healthy stash of air miles to prove it. “I meet all my creative leaders at a regular cadence to understand how I can support them. In between, I dive into live projects with their working teams, allowing me to truly know people in each market and inspiring them through hands-on collaboration,” advised Poynton.
If Poynton could offer advice to his younger self on day one of becoming a creative director, he’d say, “Step off the treadmill every once in a while and live life. How can we lead with deep human insight if we're not experiencing life ourselves?”
In essence, nurturing creative humans requires you to be human: treat your team with humanity, and live a rich human life.
23 March, 2024
